The present invention relates to a belt cartridge for a photosensitive belt and an electrophotographic printer using the same, and in particular, to a photosensitive belt and an electro-photographic printer using the same including a holding section of a belt cartridge, the cartridge having a function to remove a photosensitive belt when the belt becomes unusable because picture quality is deteriorated because a life of the belt is expired or before the expiration of its life of the belt.
In an electrophotographic printer of the prior art, when an old photosensitive belt which is unusable because of picture quality is deteriorated at or before the end of its life is to be replaced with a new photosensitive belt, the user removes by hand the old photosensitive belt attached without any cover in the electrophotographic printer and then installs the new photosensitive belt therein.
However, in this replacing procedure, the user directly touches the photosensitive belt on which toner is fixed. This leads to a problem that the hands and clothes of the user possibly become dirty with the toner on the photosensitive belt.
To solve problems of this kind, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. HEI 10-54126 and 10-172111 describe techniques to employ a lid of a belt cartridge to cover a photosensitive belt or an outer case to cover a photosensitive belt.
However, the lid or the outer case must be kept stored until the photosensitive belt is replaced. That is, the problem still exists, for example, when the lid or the outer case is lost.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a belt cartridge of a photosensitive belt and an electrophotographic printer using the same in which the belt cartridge includes a belt storage or holder. The belt is kept installed together with the photosensitive belt in the printer until the photosensitive belt is replaced. In this configuration, it is not necessary to separately prepare or store any member required for the replacement of the photosensitive belt, and hence neither the hands nor the clothes of the user become dirty with toner or the like.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided, to achieve the object above, a belt cartridge for a photosensitive belt, comprising a holding unit for holding a photosensitive belt in a predetermined contour. The photosensitive belt, when the belt is mounted onto an electrophotographic printer, is inserted in said holding unit. The photo-sensitive belt, when the belt is demounted from an electrophotographic printer, is removed from the holding unit. The holding unit is mounted on the electrophotographic printer together with the photosensitive belt.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the holding unit includes a plurality of holding sections each in a shape of a bar, the sections being parallel to a direction of the mounting and the demounting of the photosensitive belt and a fixing section for fixing the holding sections.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the holding unit further includes a protecting unit formed to enclose a side surface of the holding unit. The protecting unit is removed after the photosensitive belt and said holding unit is mounted onto said electro-photographic printer.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the holding sections are longer than the protecting unit in a direction of the mounting and the demounting of the photosensitive belt and have end edges bent on a side of the mounting and the demounting of the photosensitive belt. The bent end edges hold the photosensitive belt.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the fixing section has a contour of a plate and fixes other end edges of the holding sections. The other end edges oppose to the end edges on the mounting and demounting side.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the protecting unit includes a step section on an inner surface, thereof. The step section allows the photosensitive belt to pass therethrough.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the predetermined contour of the photosensitive belt is analogous to that of a belt supporting and driving unit to support and to drive said photosensitive belt of the electrophotographic printer and is larger than that of the belt supporting and driving unit.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electrophotographic printer comprising a rotating developing unit changing a position thereof, a rotating transferring unit changing a position thereof, and a belt supporting and driving unit including a plurality of rollers, at least one of said rollers changing a position thereof. When the photosensitive belt is removed, tension applied to the photosensitive belt is released by moving the rotating developing unit, the rotating transferring unit, and the roller changing a position thereof. When the photosensitive belt is inserted, tension is applied to the photosensitive belt by restoring the rotating developing unit, the rotating transferring unit, and the roller changing a position thereof respectively to original positions thereof.